Synopsis & Review by RachelGrey:
Synopsis: Tony and the Pro-Registration side recount the battle from last night (From Civil War #3). Iron Man then debriefs the team about the next day’s plan to transport the heroes turned criminals who they apprehended. They expect trouble so plan accordingly before being dismissed. Tony then walks to a dour Spider-Man, and asks if there’s anything he’d like to talk about. Spidey says it doesn’t matter. He’s just following orders; just like everyone else…he just doesn’t necessarily like it.

The next day, all the heroes accompany the transport and Peter wonders why he feels so wrong since he’s supposed to be on the “right side”. He then asks Tony why he’s hanging back with Tony and not swinging up front. Tony says its because Spider-Man is the only one who can sense trouble so he wants him near. Peter then thinks that he never told anyone other than MJ and May about his Spider-Sense. Spider-Man then decides he needs to look at his suit and see how much information it’s bringing in…and how much more it’s sending out.

Spidey’s sense then goes off and tells Iron Man its coming...from underground. The transport tries taking a different route but find the secondary path blocked so it has to take the third route…through Yancy Street. As they pass through the Yancy Street Gang yells and throws things at the heroes and transport. Peter then senses something bigger…missiles! The heroes quickly dispatch them but Captain America’s secret Avengers use the moment to strike. Spider-Man is fighting when he is approached by Captain America himself. Cap tells Spider-Man that he’s on the wrong side. He respects Peter and knows that he’s on the Pro side because he feels like he doesn’t have a choice. Cap tells him Peter can still do the right thing and asks him to join his side. Peter thinks that all he’s ever wanted was the respect of the people he admires…like Cap. He then angrily tells himself he has it…and now he’s going to lose it as he attacks Captain America. Spidey find he’s no match in a straight fight with Captain America. Cap gains the upper hand with skill and cleverly distracting Spidey with his shield, which Spider-Man webs up. Peter then uses his webs and spider-legs from his suit to draw first blood. Peter realizes he must fight Cap man-to-spider, not man-to-man when the noise from the battle forces Cap to retreat and join his teammates. Peter then turns to see civilians trying to steal Cap’s shield. Spider-Man angrily tells them to leave and takes the shield, webbing it in a place where only Cap can get it. Peter wants Cap to know he left it for him and that the laws of the country decide whose right, no matter how bad or unlikable they are. Peter knows Cap is thinking of this as a right or wrong situation, but Peter thinks of it as a legal vs. illegal situation. At least, Peter thinks he’s right…

Review: Well this was a nice little issue. Straczynski really gets inside Peter’s thinking with this one. The fight with Cap and Spidey is very well done. Its obvious Peter wouldn’t have the fighting skills to match Steve Rogers. Cap even began to teach Peter fighting moves in “The Other”. The man-to-spider thing is a good reminder of the events from “The Other” which have been overtaken by the Civil War stuff and the new costume. Iron Man is still coming off as a jerk. The moment when he tells Peter no first names just came off as being very jerky. But the big thing here is if Tony is taking information from Peter via the suit. However, I have one problem with this: How could no one else know Spider-Man doesn’t have a Spider-Sense? How many times has Spidey said “Uh Oh. My Spider-Sense is tingling!” out loud? In fact, just before the reality changed in House of M #1, Spider-Man told everyone there he had a Spider-Sense…although he didn’t get to finish his sentence and everyone probably forgot with the events of House Of M and Decimation. Really, I can’t think of an exact instance where he told anyone else about his Spider-Sense. But I’d assume Reed Richards would know from all the tests and maybe told Tony or maybe Tony would know from all the tests during “The Other”. The point is: Tony can’t be trusted. Tony’s really be characterized as a villain…and they said the sides wouldn’t have a clear-cut good and bad side lol. In fact, Peter brings up some of the only decent Pro side arguments this issue…and its kind of lost because Peter doesn’t quite believe them himself. We all have to obey the laws, even if they suck. A new law comes out that we have to follow and what do we do? We follow it. Really, the best arguments I’ve heard all together for the Pro side have either been Joe Q or other people outside of the comics, in panels and interviews. That’s a shame. If they even copied what they said and put it into the comics it would make the Pro side look so much less villainous.

Garney’s art continues to improve. Each issue he’s been getting better and better. He draws Captain America very well, which is to be expected from his time on Cap. His Iron Man looks a little less clunky and toy soldier…although he still needs some work. Overall, the art is just way more enjoyable and less blocky. My only complaint is the full page of Daredevil (or Iron Fist lol) kicking Dagger in the head. Umm…they are on the same side. Oops.

Overall the Amazing Spider-Man tie-ins have been much more fulfilling and enjoyable than I thought. I like how it ties into Fantastic Four with Yancy Street. More of that positive stuff from having JMS on both titles I was talking about. It has a few continuity problems but still works. The events of Fantastic Four #538 take place before ASM #533 where it's shown Sue and Ben are on the Pro side. Then comes Civil War #3 with the fight and then this issue where they transport the captured heroes. But, they announced the transport was coming through in FF #538…before they had captured anyone. I suppose you could say that transport was already in order and they just put the ones they captured in there with them. Either way, this was a good issue and much better than the last one. I’m hoping to see Spider-Man really change sides as the seeds of doubt are definitely there and growing every day.